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You Say Apple, I Say Pear

In a recent attempt to try to eat healthier, more often, I picked up a few pears at the grocery store last week but I still wondered exactly how good pears were for me so I did a Google search and I found a site called A Perfect Pear and an article called The Health Benefits of Pears. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found and wanted to share the below article with you.

Pears provide a very good source of fiber and are also a good source of vitamin B2, C, E, copper, and potassium. They also contain a significant amount of pectin, which is a water soluble fiber.

Pears are actually higher in pectin than apples. This makes them effective in helping to lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines. They are often recommended by health care practitioners as a hypoallergenic fruit that is high in fiber. They are less likely to produce an adverse response than other fruits. Pears are often recommended as a safe fruit to introduce to infants. Pears are an extraordinary source of dietary fiber when the skin is eaten along with the flesh. Pears are also an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin E, both powerful antioxidants and essential nutrients.

Pears are often recommended as a hypo-allergenic fruit that is high in fiber but less likely to produce adverse reactions. Pear juice is safe to be introduced to infants as they are mild, yet healthful.

Blood pressure: Pears have anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen glutathione which help prevent high blood pressure and stroke.

Blood pressure: Pears have anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen glutathione which help prevent high blood pressure and stroke.

Cancer prevention: The high vitamin C and copper content act as good anti-oxidants that protect cells from damages by free radicals.

Cholesterol: The high content of pectin in pears make it very useful in helping to lower cholesterol levels.

Colon health: When not juicing, eat the pear whole for its precious fiber that are highly beneficial for your colon health.

Shortness of breath: The summer heat may cause children to have shortness of breath with excessive phlegm. Drink pear juice during this period to help clear the phlegm.

Throat problem: The pears are in season during the summer for a reason. Drinking pear juice every morning and night helps to cool your body down during this time. It nourishes the throat and helps prevent throat problems.

Vocal chord: Boil two Chinese pear juice with some raw honey and drink warm. This is extremely healing for the throat and the vocal cord.

Fiber: Pears are an excellent source of natural dietary fiber. One pear will give you 24% of your recommended daily allowance of fiber. Fiber contains no calories, and is a necessary element of a healthy diet as it helps sustain blood sugar levels and promotes regularity.

Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that binds to fatty substances in the digestive tract and promotes their elimination. This seems to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber also helps regulate the body's use of sugars.

Studies indicate that diets high in fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.

How do pears rank on the Glycemic Index?

Pears have 26 net grams of carbs. The carbohydrates in a pear are low on the glycemic index and have a low glycemic load. This basically means that the carbs in pears are slow to convert to sugar and enter the bloodstream. Pears are a good choice for getting healthy carbs.

Vitamin C:

Fresh pears are a good source for Vitamin C. One fresh pear contains 10% of the RDA for Vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid).

Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant for normal metabolism and tissue repair, and helps prevent free radical damage (destructive by-products of the body's metabolic process). Vitamin C promotes healing of cuts and bruises and helps guard against a number of infectious diseases.

The old saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" but I say pear. Wow I can't believe all the health benefits of pears. What about you? Did you know a pear could be so good for you? What is your favorite fruit?